Long before the phrases "Adonis DNA" and "Vatican assassin" became keyword searches on Google, chicken was in it to win it. Without fanfare (or agents or a cadre of lawyers even), chicken has been a dinnertime star for decades—always ready to perform, always a team player.

Here are a week's worth of our all-time favorite chicken recipes—none are soft targets either, just a medley of winning flavors that even a warlock would love.